Large kitchen professional oven with improved lighting

ABSTRACT

A dual-heating oven includes a cavity heated by both microwaves and at least one of convection or steam, a source for lighting the cavity and a door for closing the cavity. The door includes a first internal sealing glazing, a second intermediate internal glazing, a metal screen sandwiched between the first internal sealing glazing and the second intermediate internal glazing and a third external glazing for general protection. The lighting source is mounted on the door substantially in the plane of the second intermediate glazing.

The invention relates to what are called professional “grande cuisine”ovens. This term is applied to ovens having an internal capacity of atleast approximately 0.15 m³. Several types of “grande cuisine” ovensexist.

Ovens with convection heating include, inside the oven cavity, a gasburner or one or more heating resistances and one or more convectionfans.

Certain ovens with steam heating include a steam generator external tothe cavity. These are ovens with indirect steam production.

Other ovens with steam heating include, inside the cavity, at least onefan associated with a heating resistance or a gas burner onto whichwater is projected to produce steam directly inside the oven.

Combi or combined ovens are known, which have dual heating by convectionand by steam, as do, moreover, certain of those mentioned above. Combiovens have tended to replace the others for some time now.

Lastly, yet another category of professional “grande cuisine” ovens isknown, which combines at least one of convection heating and steamheating with microwave heating. These ovens are described in particularin U.S. Pat. No. 6,452,142 of the company Appollo USA, Inc.

The invention of the present application relates more particularly to aprofessional “grande cuisine” oven with at least combined dual heatingby steam or by convection and by microwaves. The door of such an ovenincludes, from the inside to the outside,

-   -   a first internal sealing glazing,    -   a metal screen tight against microwave radiation,    -   a second intermediate glazing to sandwich the metal screen        between the two glazings and thus hold and protect it and    -   a third external glazing for general protection of the operator        and forming, with the second intermediate glazing, a space for        circulation of air to thus keep this third glazing at a cool        ambient temperature.

The ovens are generally equipped with lamps to illuminate the interior.These lamps then being mounted on one of the edges of the frame of theexternal glazing, the light rays are therefore inclined relative to theperpendicular to the plane of the frame and consequently, when the dooris closed, to the plane of the back of the oven.

This does not create problems with an oven without microwave heating.However, with an oven including a metal screen tight against microwaveradiation, the light rays, coming from sources relatively distant fromthis screen, are reflected on the screen to the point that very littlelight energy reaches the oven cavity.

The invention of the present application is intended to resolve thisproblem.

Thus it relates to a professional “grande cuisine” oven with at leastdual heating by microwaves, on the one hand, and by convection or steam,on the other, comprising a cooking cavity and a door for closing thecavity including a first internal sealing glazing and a second internalintermediate glazing which sandwich a metal screen tight againstmicrowave radiation to hold it and protect it and a third externalglazing for general protection, the sources for lighting the cavitybeing mounted on the door, which oven is characterised by the fact thatthe lighting sources are mounted substantially in the plane of thesecond intermediate glazing holding the metal screen.

Thus, the lighting lamps being as close as possible to the reflectivescreen, not to say against this screen, the light rays are in practiceno longer reflected on it and the operator can see properly inside theoven.

In the preferred embodiment of the oven of the invention, the lightingsources are mounted in a row mounted between the frame of the externalglazing for general protection and the frame of the assembly of themetal screen and its two holding and protective glazings, on the innerupright of the frame of the external glazing pivoting on the wall of theoven cavity.

The invention will be better understood with the assistance of thefollowing description of the preferred embodiment of the oven of theinvention with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, seen from the oven cavity side, of itsclosure door;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the door of FIG. 1, the frame of themetal screen and of its two holding and protective glazings pivotedinwardly relative to the frame of the external glazing for generalprotection and

FIG. 3 is a simplified view in section, without shading, of the door ofFIG. 1.

The oven door 1 which will now be described includes, from the inside,that is to say from the oven cavity 2 side, to the outside 3

-   -   a first internal glazing 4,    -   a metal screen 5,    -   a second intermediate glazing 6 and    -   a third external glazing 7.

The first two glazings 4, 6 and the metal screen 5 are mounted on aninternal frame 8. The third external glazing 7 is mounted on an externalframe 9.

The door 1 is intended to be mounted, in the case shown, on the leftvertical wall of the oven, looking towards the interior of the oven, bymeans of hinge shafts 10.

The oven in question is a professional “grande cuisine” oven withmicrowave heating combined with another conventional heating, byconvection and/or by steam.

The hinge shafts 10 are mounted on the inner upright 16 of the externalframe 9 of the external glazing 7. The internal frame 8 is mounted onthe external frame 9 on which it can pivot by two hinges 11, 12 and befixed to it by threaded elements (screws, bolts) screwed into a bar 13attached to the outer upright 14 of the external frame 9. It is to thisupright 14 that the handle 15 for manoeuvring the door 1 is fixed.

The first internal glazing 4 is a conventional sealing glazing.

The metal screen 5 is a screen tight against hyperfrequency (microwave)radiation. Here it is an expanded metal grating. Alternatively, a metalmesh could be used.

The second intermediate glazing 6, together with the first internalglazing 4, provides a function of holding and protecting the screen 5sandwiched between these two glazings.

Lastly, the third external glazing 7 is a general protective glazingwhich is here outwardly convex. It forms, with the assembly of thescreen 5 tight against microwaves and its glazings, a space forcirculation of air to keep it at a cool ambient temperature.

Lighting of the oven cavity is effected by a row of lights 17 attachedto the internal side of the inner upright 16 of the frame 9. The row oflights 17 includes an upright 18, extending substantially over the wholeheight of the upright 16 of the door, of rectangular section andextended inwardly and in projection by a box 19 of polygonal section, oflesser height than the upright 18, to correspond substantially to theheight of the external glazing 7.

One side 20 of the box 19 extends in the extension of the side 21 of theupright 18 which is fastened against the upright 16 of the frame 9. Theside 22 of the upright 18, opposite to the side 21, is extended by thewall 23 of the box 19 which is inwardly inclined to its plane.

The row of lights 17 is fixed to the upright 16 of the frame 9 by screws24 accessible through orifices formed between the side 22 of the upright18 and the wall 23 of the box 19, which orifices are normally closed byplugs 25.

The lights 26, here three in number, are housed in the box 19, the lightpassing through small protective glazings 27 fixed to the wall 28 of thebox 19 opposite to the side 20.

When the frame 8 of the metal screen 5 is folded back against the frame9 of the protective glazing 7, that is to say in the operationalposition, the row of lights 17 being between the frame 9 of the glazing7 and the frame 8 of the screen 5, the glazings 27 of the lamps 26 ofthe lighting box 19 come practically against the intermediate glazing 6.Thus it may be said that the lamps are mounted substantially in theplane of this intermediate glazing 6, due to which, the lamps being asclose as possible to the screen 5, the light rays from these lamps arein practice not reflected on the screen 5 and the operator can seeproperly inside the oven.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An oven with at least dual heating bymicrowaves and by convection or steam, comprising a cooking cavity and adoor for closing the cavity including a first internal sealing glazingand a second intermediate internal glazing which sandwich a metal screentight against microwave radiation to hold it and protect it and a thirdexternal glazing for general protection, sources for lighting the cavitybeing mounted on the door, wherein the lighting sources are mountedsubstantially in the plane of the second intermediate glazing holdingthe metal screen.
 2. Oven as described in claim 1, in which the lightingsources are mounted in a row mounted between the frame of the externalglazing and the frame of the assembly of the metal screen, firstinternal sealing glazing and second intermediate internal glazing. 3.Oven as described in claim 2, in which the row of lights is mounted onthe inner upright of the frame of the external glazing pivoting on thewall of the oven cavity.
 4. Oven as described in claim 2, in which therow of lights includes an upright, extending substantially over thewhole height of the door and a box extending the upright inwardly and inprojection.
 5. A dual-heating oven, the oven comprising: a cavity heatedby both microwaves and at least one of convection or steam; a source forlighting the cavity; and a door for closing the cavity, the doorcomprising: a first internal sealing glazing, a second intermediateinternal glazing, a metal screen sandwiched between the first internalsealing glazing and the second intermediate internal glazing, and athird external glazing for general protection; wherein the lightingsource is mounted on the door substantially in the plane of the secondintermediate glazing.